The first study of this nutrient found a one-third reduction in annual sick days in high-exposure settings, and the second study details several physiological measures of heightened immune defense.

EpiCor®, an immune balancing all-natural, high-metabolite immunogen, has a significant impact on the incidence and duration of the common cold and flu, confirmed a study published in the February 2008 issue of Urologic Nursing, the official journal of the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates.

Specifically, the study – “Effects of a modified yeast supplement on cold/flu symptoms,”* found that with the use of EpiCor, symptoms were 21% less likely to occur overall, and observable symptom duration was reduced by 14%.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted during an acute 12-week period of the year for cold and flu seasonal symptoms. In this study, 116 participants who had recently been vaccinated against seasonal flu (influenza) received daily supplementation with 500 mg of EpiCor or placebo. Extensive quantitative and qualitative data showed that the participants receiving EpiCor had significantly fewer cold and flu symptoms and significantly shorter duration of symptoms as compared to those taking a placebo.

Placed in a healthcare context wherein professionals have increased contact with unhealthy patients, this translates into approximately 32% fewer annual sick days.

Based on these encouraging results, the study's lead author, Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, Director of Preventive & Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center (www.DrMoyad.com), suggested that future studies focus on the use of EpiCor as a potential single agent to reduce cold- and flu-like symptoms in healthy individuals who have not received any prior flu vaccination.

"This is the largest randomized trial to examine the impact of a fermented yeast product on cold- and flu-like symptoms ever conducted," said Larry Robinson, PhD, a co-author of the study and vice president of scientific affairs, Embria Health Sciences. "If EpiCor can significantly reduce the incidence and duration of colds and flu, imagine the significance this could have on healthcare costs, sick days and lost revenue - in addition to the more obvious impact on people’s overall health."

A subsequent study supported those findings and revealed more.

A subsequent trial, involving unvaccinated individuals and investigating the possible mechanisms involved in EpiCor’s ability to support immune health was published September 2008 in The Open Nutrition Journal.**

To read the full text of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized pilot study – “Consumption of a high-metabolite immunogen from yeast culture has beneficial effects on erythrocyte health and mucosal immune protection in healthy subjects” – click here.

Information About EpiCor

EpiCor is an all-natural, high-metabolite immunogen designed to modulate and balance the human immune system. (An immunogen is a substance that supports immunity when introduced into the body.) This dried, complex fermentation product is derived from a proprietary process consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (used since ancient times in baking and brewing) and the medium in which it is grown, and is composed of metabolites, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.

Researched to be safe for ongoing use, EpiCor is non-toxic, free of contraindications, non- mutagenic and has self-affirmed GRAS status (designated for substances considered safe in foods) from an expert panel comprised of members with extensive Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Institute of Health (NIH) experience.

Clinical research on EpiCor has been presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Conference and the American College of Nutrition (ACN) Symposium.

Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any illness, condition, or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.

Please Discuss This Article:

Candida

Posted by: AuntTammieDec 17, 2008

Since Candida is suspected to be a problem for many ME/CFS and FM sufferers, it would seem that taking a yeast-based substance as a supplement would be contraindicated.

I also wondered about the yeast in this nutrient. So I e-mailed ProHealth's customer service. Apparently there is yeast that can cause problems if it gets out of control (like Candida), and then there are benign types of yeast. This is what they said: "EpiCor does not contain any Candida. The yeast that EpiCor is based on is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or common Baker's Yeast. Also, the product is pasteurized so that even this benign and harmless yeast is killed. And lastly, EpiCor has been shown to actually inhibit the growth of pathogenic Candida species in laboratory experiments." - Hope this helps